Reinforced product transport pallet

ABSTRACT

A protective metal framework and a product transport pallet mutually engage selected portions of each other to render the pallet and framework inseparable.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,910,203 Hamkins et al. Oct. 7, 1975 [54] REINFORCED PRODUCT TRANSPORT 2,311,280 2/1943 Quayle 108/57 PALLET 2,450,432 10/1948 Lehrman..." 2,823,883 2/1958 Bourdon Inventors: Clark J- Hamkms, Racme, W18; 3,645,215 2/1972 Kirkpatrick 108/51 Ralph D. Hedding, Thornville, Ohio; David V. Schaefer, Burlington, Wis. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 845,729 8/1960 United Kingdom 108/51 Asslgneel Tenneco Racme, 619,394 5/1961 Canada 108/51 [22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1974 I Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazler PP N05 494,084 Assistant Examiner-William E. Lyddane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas E. Torphy; James 52 US. Cl. 108/51 Hagen [51] Int. Cl. B65D 19/22 58 Field 61 Search 108/51-58 [571 ABSTRACT A protective metal framework and a product transport [56] References Cited pallet mutually engage selected portions of each other UNITED STATES PATENTS to render the pallet and framework inseparable.

2,178,646 11/1939 Raymond et a1 108/57 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REINFORCED PRODUCT TRANSPORT PALLET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to industrial product or material transport pallets fabricated from a relatively destructible material, such as wood, which are increased in strength and durability by a framework formed of a less destructible material, such as metal.

Conventional industrial pallets are often formed of wooden boards nailed, screwed or bolted to wooden stringers. Due to heavy loading and being subjected to mechanical impacts, often from the fork ends of fork lift trucks, a significant number of such pallets require repair after short periods of use. Consequently, many of such pallets are considered one way or disposable pallets and are used to transport goods through a distribution chain only once and then destroyed.

Past efforts to enhance the strength and durability of wooden pallets, generally two faced pallets, have involved (l) nailing, screwing, bolting or stapling metal members to selected areas of the pallets as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,823,883; 2,817,485 and 3,122,108; or (2) constructing a skeletal metal casing or box around a pallet as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,178,646 and 3,645,215; or (3) making pallets of which some of the pallets structural components are made of metal as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,280.

Pallets reinforced by such methods are frequently too heavy to be easily handled manually when empty, they are often uneconomic to transport and, due to the time consuming direct laborinvolved, uneconomic to fabricate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an industrial load bearingpallet inseparably engaged with a reinforcing and protective metal framework.

The pallet has a load bearing face attached to two or more stringers which serve as spacer means for supporting the load bearing face above the surface upon I which the pallet is supported.

The stringers extend beyond opposite sides of the load bearing face and the load bearing face overhangs or extends beyond the stringers on the other two sides.

A metal framework for reinforcing and protecting the pallet from damage rests upon the top surfaces of those portions of the stringers which extend beyond the load bearing face and is positioned to protect the sides and engage the bottom surface of the load bearing face. I The stringers prevent downward movement of the framework separate from the pallet and the engagement of the framework with the under or bottom surface of the load bearing face prevents upward movement of the framework separate from the pallet. Thus the pallet and framework are rendered substantially inseparable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONzOFTHE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing a single faced wooden pallet engaged with a protective metal framework in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the metal reinforced pallet shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the metal reinforced pallet shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a wooden pallet 2 engaged with a metal framework 3 in accordance with this invention. The pallet 2 is constructed of evenly spaced wooden boards or slats 4 attached to stringers 5, 6 and 7. The stringers are a spacer means which provide a space between the bottom or under surface of the load bearing face of the pallet and the surface upon which the pallet is supported. The space so provided is for the reception of the lifting portions of the lift equipment used to pick up and transport such pallets. Conventional fastener means, such as screws, bolts or nails 8, can be used to attach the slats to the stringers.

The slats form a load bearing face upon which products or materials may be placed for transport. The load bearing face can be formed of a great variety of materials of which plywood, paperboard, or composition board are examples. When formed of such materials, the load bearing face would likely be formed of one piece of the material cut to the desired dimensions.

The ends 9 of the stringers 5, 6 and 7 extend beyond the load bearing face on the two opposite sides or ends 10 and 11 as shown in FIG. 1 or 3.

The protective metal framework 3 is preferably formed of four metal members l2, 13, 14 and 15. Tubular metal members 12 and 13, shown having a rectangular cross section, are positioned adjacent the sides or ends 10 and 11 respectively and are positioned to engage or contact the top surface of that portion of each stringer 5, 6 and 7 which extends beyond the sides or ends 10 and 11 of the load bearing face 4.

Members 12 and 13 are rigidly attached, as by welding, at their ends 25, to two metal members 14 and 15, shown as 90 angle irons, which are positioned to engage or contact that portion of the under or bottom surface 18 of the load bearing face adjacent the edges 16 and 17 of the slats 4. Collectively the edges 16 and 17 of the slats 4 form sides 16 and 17 of the load bearing face. If the load bearing face is formed of a material such as plywood, the edges or sides 16 and 17 would be continuous rather than discontinuous, as shown.

The tubular members 12 and 13 engage or contact the top surfaces 20 (see FIG. 3) of those portions of each stringer 5, 6 and 7 which extend beyond the sides or ends 10 and 11 of the load bearing face and are thereby unable to move downward separate from the pallet. As the side members 14 and 15 are positioned for engagement with the sides 16 and 17 of the load bearing face and also with those areas adjacent the sides 16 and 17 of the under or bottom surface 18 of the load bearing face and as each of the members 12, l3, l4 and 15 are rigidly attached to two of the other members to form the framework 3, the framework is prevented from upward, downward or lateral movement separate from the pallet 2 without necessity of nails or other fasteners penetrating or in contact with framework 3.

In FIG. 1 it will be seen that metal members 12 and 13 protect the sides or ends 10 and 11 of the load bearing face and the upstanding portions 35 and 36 of members l4 and 15 protect the sides 16 and 17 respectively of the pallet. Also, as best shown in FIG. 2, it will be seen that the horizontal portions 37 and 38 of members 14 and 15 respectively serve to distribute any downward load imposed on the load bearing face to end members 12 and 13 thus aiding in preventing breakage of the load bearing face. i

Metal members 26, shown having a U-shaped cross section, are welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the tubular members 12 and 13. The members 26 extend downwardly from members 12 and 13 so that the bight of each U-shaped member covers a substantial portion of an end 9 of each of the stringers 5, 6 and 7 as best seen in FIG. 2. The. leg portions 27 of the U-shaped stringer end protection members 26, as best shown in FIG. 3, aid in preventing the stringers from skewing or twisting sideways when the pallet is heavilyloaded or slid sideways as the legs 27 of the U-shaped member are positioned for engagement with a portion of each side of each stringer adjacent each end of each of. the stringers. The U-shaped members 26 also serve to prevent the ends of the stringers from being splintered or split by the fork ends of fork lift trucks they attempt to enter the space between the stringers. Additionally, the U-shaped members aid in positioning the stringers during fabrication of the reinforced pallet of this invention, as more fully described below.

The reinforced pallet described above is preferably formed by completely constructing the metal framework 3, inserting each of the stringer members 5, 6 and 7 into position in stringer end protective members 26 and then fastening the load bearing face, such as slats 4 to the stringers.

Alternately, the pallet 2 can be completely constructed and the metal framing members l2, l3, l4 and can be properly positioned in relation to the pallet and then rigidly attached to each other at ends 25, such as by welding, or by using other well known means such as riveting or bolting using conventional angle irons, to maintain the pallet and framework substantially inseparable by mutual entrapment of selected portions of each other. The U-shaped end protective members 26 may be attached to members 12 and 13 either prior to or after assembly of the framework about the pallet.

What is claimed is:

1. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to spacer means, said load bearing face having a top surface, a bottom surface, two sides substantially parallel to each other and two sides substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said first two sides, the improvement comprising:

a. a portion of said spacer means extending outwardly beyond each of said first two sides of said load bearing face;

b. at least a portion of each of said second two sides of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond said spacer means; and

c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face, a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with the portion of said spacer means extending beyond each of said first two sides of said load bearing face for preventing downward movement of said framework separate from said pallet and a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face for preventing upward movement of said framework separate from said pallet for rendering said pallet and said framework substantially inseparable.

2. A pallet as defined in claim 1 in which said spacer means is a plurality of elongated stringer members.

- 3. A pallet as defined in claim 2 together with stringer end protection members rigidly attached to said framework and extending downwardly to substantially cover the ends of said elongated stringer members.

4. A pallet as defined in claim 3 in which said stringer end protection members are metal members having a Ushaped cross section to also cover two opposite portions of two sides of each of said stringers adjacent said stringer ends.

5. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to a plurality of elongated stringer members, said load bearing face having two sides substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said stringer members, two ends substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said stringer members, a top surface and a bottom surface, the improvement comprising:

a. end portions of at least one of said stringer members extending outwardly beyond opposite ends of said load bearing face;

b. each side of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond the stringer member closest to said side; and

c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face of which a portion of said framework is positioned for engagement with at least a portion of the top surface of each of said end portions for preventing downward movement of said framework relative to said pallet and a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with each side and each end of said load bearing face and at least a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face adjacent each side of said load bearing face for rendering said pallet and said framework substantially inseparable.

6. A pallet as defined in claim 5 in which said framework is comprised of four metal members of which two are tubular members positioned for engagement with opposite ends of said load bearing face, and two are angle irons positioned for engagement with opposite sides of said load bearing face and at least a portion of said bottom surface of said load bearing face adjacent a side of said load bearing face.

7. A pallet as defined in claim 6 together with a plurality of U-shaped stringer end protective members each rigidly attached to and extending downwardly from one of said tubular members to substantially cover the end surface of one of said stringer members on two opposite sides of a stringer member adjacent said end surface to aid in preventing the stringer members from skewing and to protect the ends of the stringer members from being split by impact.

8. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to elongated stringer members, said load bearing face having two ends, two sides, a top surface and x a bottom surface, the improvement comprising:

a. a portion of each of said stringer members extending outwardly beyond each end of said load bearing face; Y Y

b. each of said sides of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond a stringer member;

c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face and having two tubular members and two angle iron members, said tubular members forming opposite sides of said framework and each rigidly attached at each end to one of said angle iron members;

d. each of said two tubular members resting upon a top surface of that portion of each stringer member extending outwardly beyond an end of said load bearing face for preventing downward movement of said framework relative to said load bearing face and lying adjacent an end of said load bearing face for protecting said end of said load bearing face from breakage due to impact; and

e. each of said angle iron members having an upstanding vertical portion positioned adjacent a side of said load bearing face for protecting said side from damage due to impact and each of said angle iron members having a horizontal portion laterally extending inwardly to lie adjacent a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face for aiding in distributing any loading placed near the edge of said load bearing face and for preventing said framework from moving upwardly relative to said load bearing face.

9. A pallet as defined in claim 8 together with a plurality of stringer end protective members each substantially covering an end of a stringer member and each attached to and extending downwardly from one of said tubular members of the framework for protecting said ends of said stringer members from splitting due to impact.

10. A pallet as defined in claim 9 in which each of said stringer end protective members is U-shaped in cross section having a pair of legs connected by a bight, each of said legs being positioned adjacent a portion of opposite sides of a stringer member for preventing skewing of said stringer member and said bight substantially covering an end of a stringer member for protecting said end from damage when subjected to impact. 

1. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to spacer means, said load bearing face having a top surface, a bottom surface, two sides substantially parallel to each other and two sides substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said first two sides, the improvement comprising: a. a portion of said spacer means extending outwardly beyond each of said first two sides of said load bearing face; b. at least a portion of each of said second two sides of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond said spacer means; and c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face, a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with the portion of said spacer means extending beyond each of said first two sides of said load bearing face for preventing downward movement of said framework separate from said pallet and a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face for preventing upward movement of said framework separate from said pallet for rendering said pallet and said framework substantially inseparable.
 2. A pallet as defined in claim 1 in which said spacer means is a plurality of elongated stringer members.
 3. A pallet as defined in claim 2 together with stringer end protection members rigidly attached to said framework and extending downwardly to substantially cover the ends of said elongated stringer members.
 4. A pallet as defined in claim 3 in which said stringer end protection members are metal members having a U-shaped cross section to also cover two opposite portions of two sides of each of said stringers adjacent said stringer ends.
 5. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to a plurality of elongated stringer members, said load bearing face having two sides substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said stringer members, two ends substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said stringer members, a top surface and a bottom surface, the improvement comprising: a. end portions of at least one of said stringer members extending outwardly beyond opposite ends of said load bearing face; b. each side of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond the stringer member closest to said side; and c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face of which a portion of said framework is positioned for engagement with at least a portion of the top surface of each of said end portions for preventing downward movement of said framework relative to said pallet and a portion of said framework positioned for engagement with each side and each End of said load bearing face and at least a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face adjacent each side of said load bearing face for rendering said pallet and said framework substantially inseparable.
 6. A pallet as defined in claim 5 in which said framework is comprised of four metal members of which two are tubular members positioned for engagement with opposite ends of said load bearing face, and two are 90* angle irons positioned for engagement with opposite sides of said load bearing face and at least a portion of said bottom surface of said load bearing face adjacent a side of said load bearing face.
 7. A pallet as defined in claim 6 together with a plurality of U-shaped stringer end protective members each rigidly attached to and extending downwardly from one of said tubular members to substantially cover the end surface of one of said stringer members on two opposite sides of a stringer member adjacent said end surface to aid in preventing the stringer members from skewing and to protect the ends of the stringer members from being split by impact.
 8. A pallet for load bearing having a load bearing face attached to elongated stringer members, said load bearing face having two ends, two sides, a top surface and a bottom surface, the improvement comprising: a. a portion of each of said stringer members extending outwardly beyond each end of said load bearing face; b. each of said sides of said load bearing face extending outwardly beyond a stringer member; c. a metal framework extending around the periphery of the load bearing face and having two tubular members and two angle iron members, said tubular members forming opposite sides of said framework and each rigidly attached at each end to one of said angle iron members; d. each of said two tubular members resting upon a top surface of that portion of each stringer member extending outwardly beyond an end of said load bearing face for preventing downward movement of said framework relative to said load bearing face and lying adjacent an end of said load bearing face for protecting said end of said load bearing face from breakage due to impact; and e. each of said angle iron members having an upstanding vertical portion positioned adjacent a side of said load bearing face for protecting said side from damage due to impact and each of said angle iron members having a horizontal portion laterally extending inwardly to lie adjacent a portion of the bottom surface of said load bearing face for aiding in distributing any loading placed near the edge of said load bearing face and for preventing said framework from moving upwardly relative to said load bearing face.
 9. A pallet as defined in claim 8 together with a plurality of stringer end protective members each substantially covering an end of a stringer member and each attached to and extending downwardly from one of said tubular members of the framework for protecting said ends of said stringer members from splitting due to impact.
 10. A pallet as defined in claim 9 in which each of said stringer end protective members is U-shaped in cross section having a pair of legs connected by a bight, each of said legs being positioned adjacent a portion of opposite sides of a stringer member for preventing skewing of said stringer member and said bight substantially covering an end of a stringer member for protecting said end from damage when subjected to impact. 